*Amherst Hip Hop Club Event Planning Guidelines, Responsibilities, and Tasks To Complete*
In my time at Amherst, a major part has been spent planning and holding events. During these long hours of work, I at times wish there were a list of things, a checklist to go through that would make event planning and hosting easier. Here is that checklist now!
So, this document is general guidelines, responsibilities, and tasks to consider or complete when planning an event. We at the HHC hope that this document makes the event planning process easier for everyone. Events should be planned a month in advance from the time of the event. Create a checklist for everything you will need to make your event a success. This is meant to be a general guidelines for planning and event and usually a lot more goes into making an event successful.
- Set a Date for your Event
- Reserve a Space
- Once a date has been set and a space reserved register the party with Student Activities here - https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/our-community/keefe/registering-an-event
- If applicable submit event to student activities event calendar here - https://www.amherst.edu/news/calendar
- If your event requires funding, there are multiple funding sources available on campus. Consult this page - https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/our-community/keefe/funding - The first place you should go is Student Activities. Email the staff to seek direct co-sponsorship. Here are the staff - https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/our-community/keefe/staff - Fill out this request form - https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/our-community/keefe/funding/student_activities_co-sponsorship - It is a good idea to reach out to the staff as well as complete this form to maximize chances of co-sponsorship and to make funding plans and budget clear. Alternatively, you can also seek funding from CAB here - https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/our-community/keefe/funding/campus_activities_board_co-sponsorship - or the Center for Community Engagement (CCE) here - https://www.amherst.edu/academiclife/cce - The last place you should go for funding is Budgetary Committee (BC). This is because they have organizations seek co-sponsorship before granting large amounts of money (over $1000), otherwise BC will half your request and ask that you seek co-sponsorship anyways. That being said if your event requires funding that is less that $1000 BC usually grants these amounts of money when requested. Consult BC funding guidelines here - https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/aas/budgetary/fundingprocess/fundingpolicies - Once looked over to make sure that your request meet these guidelines request money from BC. In addition to these funding sources an event planner can also contact the academic departments (Music, SWAGS, Black Studies, ect.) to request money. Requests can also be made to the resource centers, the MRC, QRC and WGC These requests should also be made before going to BC because BC receives a lot of requests and appreciates that the funding be spread across multiple departments, and organizations. If you’re going to be giving out checks, submit the check request forms, along with all necessary legal and tax documents well before the event and try to have the check ready for performers/speakers at the time of the event, it will make both your’s and your guest lives a lot easier!
- There are multiple ways to promote your event, including the aforementioned submission to the event calendar. You can also send a message to the daily message here - https://www.amherst.edu/news/communications/message-center - You can also request that student activities design a poster by email. Once designed submit the poster to OAS here - https://www.amherst.edu/offices/oas - to be printed as many times as you’d like. Printing is expensive, so be sure to request funding for posters. It’s a good idea to create a facebook event page to promote your event. You can also use other social media sites such as twitter and instagram.
- Email other student groups (like the HHC!) to request that they send out emails on their listservs promoting your event!
- Check with the manager/RC of event venue to check for space requirements/restrictions/rules. Make sure that you have all staging/lighting/furniture needed for event.
- Contact other members of your club/organizations or just others who are willing to help you set up the night of the event. Contact helpers well before event out of respect and consideration of their time. Having help for set-up goes a long way!
- Have Event! Show up well before the start time of your event to prepare the venue. Make sure all is in place for your event to go off without a hitch. If you’re having performers it's a good idea to have the check for their honorarium ready to hand to them at the end of the event. Be present throughout the entire length of the event. If you’re responsible for the event you’re going to want to be there to make sure all goes well and to help out should something go wrong. Enjoy your event and Have fun! You’re energy and enthusiasm will let others present have fun as well, and if you did all the work to set up the event, then feel good about it! Good job.
Love and Hip Hop Always,
- HHC
